Hinge.



3&1 AVAILABLE CQPY Patented Apr. 29, I902.

G. A. WHEELER.

H i N E E (Application filed Apr. 13, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(5%!) Model) I INVEN TOR: i yz Patented Apr. 29, I902;

.6. A. WHEELER.

H I N G E.

(Application filed Apr. 13, 1900.)

2 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

FIG. 77.

FIG. 72.

INVENTOR:

Azzmne s,

WITNESSES:

SPECIFECATE OH forming part of Letters Patent No. 698,884, dated April. 229, 1902. t n icetion filed April 13,1900. Serial No. 12,682. (No model.)

To all whom itvitay concern:

Be it known that I, Gnoaon A. WHEY; ass, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, ave invented certain new and useful Impr'o'. ements in Hinges, of which the following specihcation.

My invention provides a hinge of the type known as door-hinges, whether applied to doors or other structures,and adapted to close automatically. it provides also ahinge which is equally adapted to doors opening to the right or to the leftthat is, a universal hinge. It provides also a hinge having various other advantages, all of which will he forth in the following specification.

In the accompanying drawings, showing practical embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 is a vertical section through the knuc- 2o kles in the closed posiiiom-that is, with the leaves together-the door being supported from the intermediate knucklel Figs. 2 and 33 are sections through the upper and lower bearings, omitting the core of the male men.-

her or cone, showing the positions ofjthe inclined tracks when the parts are in thdioosition or Fig. 1. Fig. a is an elevation in the open position. Figs. 5 and 6 are sections similar to Figs. 2 and. 3 through the upper 0 and lower hearings in the position of the parts 4o tical elevation, of modifications; and Figs.

13 and 14: are a plan and vertical seciion, respectively, of another modification.

The principal elements of the hinge shown are a pair of leaves, knuckles supporting said .25 leaves and turning on or with a central pin,

said knuckles having theiradjacentend faces inclined, so that the weight of a door or the like tends to turn the two leave. ward each other. Prefera oi .also,there is or other 5c antifriction hearing betwee inclined faces, so as to remove all fl'lBi-l sistauce tothe autoniai-i' closing movemei.

Referring to the drawings, A is an intermediate knuckle carrying the leaf a. I

3 and B are upper and lower end knuckles, respectively, carrying the leaf 1).

0 represents end caps screwed or otherwise fastened to the outer ends of knuckles B and B.

At opposite ends of the knuckle A are bearing-cones or male members E and E, tl1e faces adjacent to the knuckle having thereon projections, such as ribs e, Figs. 4: and 8, adapted when the parts are assembled to enter corresponding recesses,euch as grooves a, .in the ends of the knuckle A and fix said bearing members and knuckle against rotation relative to each other. The body of each of said bearing members is composed of acore c, a track c and a flange e of substantially the same diameter as the knuckle. The core is hollow to admit pin F, which passes also through the knuckle A. and prevents lateral displacement of knuckle relatively to said bearing members. Said core 2 also projects with a good working fit through and slightly beyond a shoulder on an opposite bearing member, hereinafter described, and is provided near its outer end with a circumferential groove 6*, in which is sprung a ring e of spring 'metal. Said ring is of suificient thickness to extend slightly over the shoulder on said opposite bearing member,and thereby form a detachable stop to prevent the member E from falling out when the pin F and knuckle A are withdrawn. A slight vertical clearance is allowed between said ring and said shoulder for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

The track c has an inclined face e formed in a simple spiral and extending practically entirely around said track. Joining the opposite ends of said face e is an abrupt incline a The relative lengths of the inclines e and a are the same as those of g and 9". (Shown in Fig. 7.) In-the hinge shown in Figs. 1 to 6 the inclination oi the faces 6? in the two bearing members E and E is in opposite directiouaheing downward in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 7 for the upper member and upward for the lower member.

Set in the inner ends of the knuckles B and B are female heading members or cups G and G, which may be integral with said knuckles,

- the load. sud the lower toe 'o-lllolil by the door from the leaf Z),- hus ll is'muoli as it is desirths'; the beaiin amass on the jamo, since They would be liable to injury if removed with the door, I prefer to hang lobe door in knuckle A and place knuckles I) E" to whieh the bearings aitaohecl, upon she jamh.

5.? shows a doubleac'uiog hinge construcaed accoziling so my invention, the middle leaf Z7 being common to both single hinges and outer leaves (land-a being attached one iu le and arranged. to close e z'ainst Sillll mlClllle leaf b, the

automaelcau tips being removed.

Sinesis (lifiie lt to form the beefing members E G and E Cl Wiih the Laolzways e and g iiireetly 'tl ereon 1 have shoe-"u. a somewhat cheaper coastrsotios in in which member-s G G are forms level faoes, 'traok members K L form with'a level face to fit secun the level of G 22 G E trr" "-k-i'ae",'Which is in seoncl with ills tracks e" e g l' he co; selection shown lo; M 3/ be use-3. is cloubleaciisg hinges, si'ooe ea pals of lhe double hinge is required to swin one lllrection only, and one may be right and the other left and the hinge still be ueiversal. No I y of the b lls eibher tracks uppei memreby (he lower he binge is olosed,

- e 11 an ioh the other lliQClOOi; also, when beasio shuts the u a all 1* open is de Joe opp-er bearing :o and she ueiliate knuckle A, A?" n l, the bearing is iuolosefi, house is practically free from dust, ye; oraler to gorevent entirely the en trance of slush 'oeiwe'en the adjacenteliges of said. bearing members I may use a (lust-ring attached to one of Eiilg'l huuokles and projectover the of the oyposite knuckle to suol: s auce so close the soaoe between .v e. position of parts.

'. l!) E show separate lustao l 1% them 0111 that of the knuckles and. giroduoes a pleasing finish. Moreover, While the bearings are oreierably of hareuecl metal, as steel, the (lust-rings may be of any metalas, for in slouc v bronze-4o match bronze leaves and knuckl see Fig. 11 shows a construction in which the knuckle being recessed and the bearing set in such recess, In this case the diameter of the middle knuckle is preferably less than that of the outer knuckles. Fig. 11 also shows a five-point contact for the balls, and it is to he understood that the usual variations in the amount of contact of the balls and he or raoes'may be employed as in oil hall-bearings. Forinstauce, the tracks the balls closely for an arc of their circumference by any desired variation of .3. Fig. 12, with inter-looking projections o 0' 0 550 and recesses 12 19 9 &o., having inolineil faces and being preferably four in the entire oii'cum'iereoce and spaced equidistamly. in the open position of the hinge these projections and, recesses are clear of eachother and inoperative. In closing the projections 0 0" dvoa, are earned a quarter of a revolufiiou and also lowered so that; fihey drop into the p 11 50., and hold the door against 'Lhe wind, as" when it is desired. to open a slight; es pressure is required at fires to start the (loo,

move it through a small are, when the balls some into play and she dooiswings easily, closing with the same ease.

in Lhe form of binge shown in Fig; 1 leafa is preferably made as much shorter than leaf 5 as there is play in the bearings closed.

This is fo: the purpose of facilitating the ting of the hinge to the door and jamb, a; he matter which side up the hinge is the lower edges of the leaves will be flush in the closed position, In the other form, as shown by Fig. 10, since ihere is no looseness in the bearings the leaves are preferably of the same length.

In l and. 2, e is hall-retaining ridge to faoilita to the assembling of the parts if for any reason the upper bearing needs to be taken apart after it is attached. to the door jamb. This -reiaininsri"=ge may be omit *i store, as in. Fig. sepsis wrapped around 0 be with 15s. The grooves 9 Fl":

u of alternate rollers and.

halls in plaee, an.

11, also permit of the ball-retaining ridge a being omitted.

In assembling the parts the bearing members for the middle knuckle are inserted into the recesses in the endknuckles and the retaining-rings e forced over the ends of the cores and into the grooves 6', thereby holding the bearing members together. The ribs e are then entered into the grooves a of the middie knuckle and the latter pushed into its final position and the pin F set inplace to hold it. .As indicated by Figs.- 7 and 8, the ribs and groove'sare at such an angle that in the closed position of the hinge the abrupt incline e on the bearing members E and E will. be approximately immediately opposite the corresponding abrupt incline g on the end-knuckle bearing member, leaving just snflicient space for the balls to pass freely between said abrupt inclines. v

Having described the functions of the various parts thereof, the operation of my hi'nge as awhole will be sufiiciently clear to those skilled in the art. I

In the construction of Figs. 1 to 6 it is 110-, ticed that either the lower hearing or the upper bearing alone takes-the entire downward stress due to the weight of the door, while the opposite bearing takes the lateral or canting stress betweenthe vertical portions of the two bearing members E and G or E and G. I thus reduce to a minimum the frictional resistance due to the downward stress and also that due t0v the canting stress.

- In removing the door,with its knuckle,from the remainder of the hinge after the latter has been attached to the jamb it is often essential thatit be moved in the direction of a line lying between its closed and its open position. Such is the case when there isa wall extending from the jamb in the direction of the opened door. By this wall the door with its detachable portion of the hinge is prevented from being moved in the direction of a line more than ninety degrees beyond its closed position, and since the upper edge of the door is lifted above the frame in opening it it is prevented by the frame from moving toward the frame to detach it. The position of the groove a and its angle with respect to the leaf a (less than a quarter-revolution advanced beyond the line of said leaf) are such as to permit the detachment and reinsertion of the knuckle with the door attached thereto between the open and the closed positions of the door, whether it be a right or left hand opening door. The position of the ribs also is such as to reinforce the bearing member at its thinnest and weakest point. By reason of the looseness of the parts the door is more easily placed .in position and the canting hearing is much freer than would be the case if it carried weight as well.

Though I have described with great particularity of detail a hinge embodying my invention, it will be understood that the variare then enter knuckles relatively to the middle knuckle, which becomes the intermediate knuckle of my invention, or the bearings might be between the first and second knuckles andbetween the fourth andfifth, in

which case the second and fourth knuckles vto g'ether are the equivalent of the intermediate knuckle in the form shown.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to es? cure by Letters Patent, are the -following-defined novel elementsand combinations, all substantially as set forth:

1. In a hinge, the combination of a pair of knuckles, a cup or femaletrack on one knuckle, a cancer male track on the other, said tracks being continuously inclined in one direction for more than a semicircnmterence, and antifriction devices extending for more than a son: icircum ference between said tracks 2. In a hinge, the combination of unintermediate knuckle, a pair of outer knuckles, and inclined bearings between said interme diate knuckle and said outer knuckles, said bearings being inclined in opposite direc tions;

In a hinge, the combination of an intertoo mediate knuckle, a pair of outer knuckles,

and inclined antiiriction-hearings between said intermediate knuckle and said outer knuckles, said hearings beinginclined in opposite directions.

4. In a hinge, in combination, a knuckle a core projecting beyond said shoulder and a detachable stop on said core adapted to hold said member in said knuckle.

5. In a hinge, in'combination, a pair of leaves, a pair of knuckles on one of the leaves and an intermediate knuckle on the other, and a pair of bearings spirally inclinhd in opposite directions, between the inside faces of the pair of knuckles of one leaf and the adjacent feces of the intermediate knuckin of the other leaf, with a clearance be tween said pair of knuckles and said intermediate knuckle to allowthe hearings to turn a suite, e distance, one of the leaves being shorter'than the o r byan. amount equal to the clearance in bearings when the hinge is closed, whereby the two learns will always be=flush at one end when' theliinge is either end up. i l p 6. In a hinge, the combination or a pair of knuckles, an inclined bearing between said knuckles, and a pair of faces on the adjacent ends of said knuckles, said faces memes to knuckles, and a. frictional stop knuckles and adapted to not during t nient end to come together i mmedietciyheiorc the closed position is reached, thereby form before-the closed position is reached.

8; In a hinge, the combination of e of knuckles-2i pair of bearing members therefor,

one of said bearing members being detechehle from its knuckle, and means for detschehly l attaching said members to each other. .5

1 9. In a. hinge, the combination of a bearing member Ghevingasheulder g,ecorresponding bearing member E having a. core e projecting beyond said shoulder g and having 2. circu mferential-groove e" on said core, and a. spring"- ring a fitting said groove and holding said member E in said member -10. In a hinge, the combination of a pair of knuckles, bull-tracks inclined continuously in one direction for more than c semicircuniw ference at adjacent ends of said knuckles, and balls extending for more than n'seinicircumference between said tracks. 11.- In a hinge, the combination of a pair of knuckles, bearings between said knuckles having tracks inclined continuouslg. in one direction and making substantially a complete revolution, and antifriction devices be-' tween said tracks and extendingover substantinlly the entire length thereof.

12. In 9. hinge,tne combination of sknuckle, a bearing member at the end of said knuckle having a. level face and a track member cerried by said bearing member and having an inclined face.

13; In a. hinge, the combination of a. bearing 'member, a knuckle, end a, ccrresponding projection and recess onv said bearing member and knuckle, wherebj said ports are detechable and attachable in efixed rcletive position.

14. In a hinge, the colnbinntio of a. hollow bearing member, s hollow kn a corre sponding rib and groove on sale. nearing memher and knuckle, "whereby said ports are attechsble in a fixed relative position, r. pin

passing through said ports whereby said parts are held together.

'15. In a. hinge,'the combination of'e.

knuckles, a bearing memberfised in one or send knuckles, a. second bearing member detnoheble from theother of said knuckles, and means for attaching saiddetechnhle bearing member'to knuckle.

16. In at hinge, the combination of 2, pair of knuckles, a bearing member fixed in one of said knuckles, a second tachsble from the other of said knneklemstud means for attaching said detec'heble' hearing member to its knuckle, sogthet seid detechable bee-ring member wilh'uthen attached, he.

in e determined position jrelstircly to send bearing member.

' ierence around.

i bearings of uni other opens, and vice-verse, up ell lost motion.

bearing memberde inclined 1?. In e hinge, the combination of e pail-oi knuckles, it bearing member fixed in one of said knuckles, its bearing-face being abruptly inclined at one point, esecond bearing-memoer detachable from the other of said knuckles and heving a and means forattschingsaid detachable hearing member to other in the closed position 05 said hinge.

corresponding sbrnpt incline,

its knuckle scthstseid abrupt inclines w1ll he approximately'opposite ee'ch 18. In a hinge, the combination of a. pair of I knuckles, a. bearing member fixed in one o! o said knuckles, a. second bearing member de techable from the other of said knuckles,-

means for attaching said detecheblemember rotetively to said first member and menus for attaching said knuckle. i

19. in a. v the combination of a, pair of end knuckles, an intermediate knuckle, bearing members fined in said end knuckles, correspondinghenring members detachable from said intermediate knuckle, means for attachlug said detach-able members rotatively to their corresponding fixed members, and means for attnchingsztid intermediate knuckle to said detechable members. Y

20. In a, hinge, the combination of 2t pair of end knuckles B B an intermediate knuckle A, fixed bearing members G and G in said end knuckles, detachable bearing members E and E, menus for placing said knuckle A and said members E and E in a determined relative position, and a pin F passing through said intermediate knuckle and said detach- 1 able bearing members and holding the some together.

21. In a hinge, a. pair 0t knuckles, a bearing between said knuckles consisting of a. race for entifriction devices, the upper and lower tracks of said race being practically detachable member to its" pnrellel spirally inclined continuously for more than half of their circumference, and

for the remztining'distance consisting of an abrupt incline c nnecting the ends of the spiral, and nniifrrction devices in said race extending for more than a semicircun.-

the some.

' in a hinge, a pair of leaves, knuckles on said leaves, and o pair of spirally-inclined pitch between adjacent pairs of enacting knuckles, seidbenrings be ing inclined in the some direction and adaptcd to rot-ate reciprocally, one closing when the 2.3. In a hinge, the combination of a pair of knuckles, an inclined beaming between said knuckles,end corresponding recesses end projec-tions 0, 19,011 the adjacentfsces t said knuckles, said projections adapted to rest in, i new; recesses in the closed position and to resist the. initial opening movement.

2%. In hinge, the combination 0L2. beering mean er having a plane fece, an opposite rib e on said plane face thereby taking l ngjiiember, elkpoc kie, a corresponding rib and g eoovefmi said bearing member and knuckle, and a leaf (mv seifi knuckle edepted to be ett ached to a door, said rib being edvanoed less the'n a quarter of a revolution be 10 yond the line of said leaf.

26. In a hinge,the combination of a. pair of spirally -inoiined antifriction hearings, the

poi'nts'm; which said bearings are under loaci ned face whergh wsafi member is strength;

bea'ring'sfivhei'oby substantially every point 25 inthe circumference of the axis of the hinge is under load at all times in one or the otherof the bearings. Y In witness whereof I have hereunto signer my name in the preseuce of tu o subiseri'bing 2r witnesses.

Witnesses:

D MINGO A. USINA,

FRED WHITE.

7 GEORGE A. WHEELER, 

